Classic Crème Anglaise

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients for the custard. It's best to weigh everything, especially the yolks: 45 grams is the yolks of two large eggs. If you end up with more than the recipe calls for, mix the yolks together and then measure out the amount you need — that's much easier. Or scale up the other ingredients in proportion to the weight of the yolks. Vanilla is the most common flavoring; I'm using vanilla sugar made with real vanilla.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan and pour in the milk and cream. Add half the sugar and your flavoring — vanilla sugar, in my case. You could instead use a real vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, or vanilla extract. Aromatic herbs, cinnamon, coffee, and tea also work well. Choose natural flavorings over artificial ones.

3. Step 3:

   

   Heat the mixture until it's just about to boil, but don't let it boil. The moment the first bubbles appear, take it off the heat. Cover the pan and let it steep for 15–20 minutes so the flavoring infuses. You can skip this if you're short on time, but it tastes much better with it. Some recipes even have you steep the mixture overnight.

4. Step 4:

   

   After it has steeped, put the mixture back on the heat to warm it through again. Meanwhile, stir the yolks with the remaining sugar. Don't whip them — just stir until smooth.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly so they don't curdle from the heat (this tempers them). Then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

6. Step 6:

   

   Set the pan over the lowest heat and stir constantly until it thickens. A silicone spatula works best — it scrapes the custard off the sides and bottom, which matters, because yolks can stick there and scramble into bits of omelet.

7. Step 7:

   

   Cook the custard to 180°F (82°C). Any hotter and the yolks will scramble, ruining the custard.

8. Step 8:

   

   No thermometer? Test it by drawing a finger across the back of the spatula — the line should stay clean and distinct. Better to undercook the custard than to overcook it.

9. Step 9:

   

   As soon as the custard reaches temperature, take it off the heat right away. Strain it through a sieve into another bowl — this stops the cooking and catches any bits of curdled white left from separating the eggs. It also removes the flavoring if you used something large.